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43
44 water supplies were provided.
One prosecution was taken for failure to comply with a statutory notice but
the case was adjourned by the Court, in order that the proposal submitted by the
owner could be considered by the Council. Upon the Public Health Committee
considering this case the owner's proposals were agreed to and the case was with'
drawn when it came up for reconsideration by the Court.
(2). 58 applications were received for water certificates, and 58 certificates were
issued in respect of 787 separate dwellings.
Well Water.
The annual examination of the twenty-eight bore holes and wells known to
exist in the borough was carried out. Nineteen have been abandoned and effectively
sealed, leaving nine capable of being used, three of which are temporarily out of
commission.
Samples of water for chemical and bacteriological examination have been taken
from the six bore holes or wells at present in use and the results show that no
exception can be taken to their continued use for domestic or washing purposes. In
no case is the water used for dietetic purposes.
Swimming Bath Water.
The number of samples of swimming bath water taken during the year is as
follows :—
Satisfactory Unsatisfactory
Chemical Bacteriological Chemical Bacteriological Chemical Bacteriological
10 10 10 10 — —
In addition three samples of subsoil water were taken.
SECTION D
HOUSING
(In conjunction with Mr. W. C. Bartlett, Chief Sanitary Inspector).
The year under review is an important one in relation to housing, for it was
on the 30th August that the Housing Repairs and Rents Act became operative,
having received Royal assent a month previously.
As indicated in circular 55/54 issued by the Ministry of Housing and Local
Government this Act provides statutory powers needed to implement the proposals
made in the White Paper—Houses—The Next Step—which was published in 1953.
In particular the new Act facilitates the exercise of the Council's statutory resporv
sibility for the clearance and replacement of slum houses, the enforcement of essential
repairs and the encouragement of improvements and conversions.
Part I of this statute deals with provisions as to clearance and redevelopment,
the reconditioning of unfit houses and other amendments of the Housing Acts. It